Liverpool will take on Aston Villa in Friday’s FA Cup third round as planned.
The fate of the game had been plunged into uncertainty following an outbreak of Covid-19 at the Midlanders’ Bodymoor Heath training ground.
Preparations for the match were hampered with Dean Smith and the Villains’ squad unable to take part in their usual pre-match duties.
But the Football Association have confirmed that the tie will still go ahead at Villa Park despite the hosts unable to field any first-team players for it.
Instead, development coach Mark Delaney will oversee a side comprised of representatives from Villa’s under-23 and under-18 teams respectively.
Derby County have also been forced to take this approach in their tie with Chorley due to the absence their entire squad and manager Wayne Rooney.
Coronavirus infections have also put paid to one of this weekend’s FA Cup ties with Shrewsbury Town’s encounter against Southampton being postponed.
The FA are set to meet next week to discuss the ramifications of the game being postponed on the grounds of the League One club’s Covid-19 outbreak.
More to follow